Ryan Day took quite a beating last year in the media and with certain fans after laying an egg against Michigan. Of course, he shut up many of his critics as the Buckeyes played angry and went on an epic run in the College Football Playoff to win Day’s first National Championship.

Still, four straight losses against Michigan hung over Day’s head. This year, Day and the Buckeyes entered the game as the better team, just like last year. But it was clear from the beginning that Day wasn’t going to play conservatively. Julian Sayin came out throwing, but he tossed an interception on his second pass of the game.

But the Buckeyes didn’t buckle under the pressure after falling behind 6-0. Sayin threw a touchdown to Jeremiah Smith and then later threw a TD bomb to Carnell Tate. The running game was also working with Bo Jackson and the other Ohio State backs. Ohio State outgained Michigan 419-163 as they controlled the game in a 27-9 victory.

Meanwhile, Bryce Underwood, Michigan’s $10 million freshman QB, finished the game going 8-18 with just 63 passing yards!

In the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes went to the ground game as their offensive lines just dominated the Michigan defense.

After the game, the Ohio State players celebrated of course, but they didn’t bother planting a flag. They know they expect to win this game, and Day was clear he wanted them to win with humility.

All this hype leading into this game was around Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns, but the defending national champions had something to say about that when it was all said and done.

No. 3 Ohio State took down No. 1 Texas 14-7 in a defensive slugfest at the Horseshoe on a gorgeous day on Saturday. This game had it all: a hyped-up quarterback debut, a suffocating Buckeye defense, and a send-off for an ESPN legend. It also had some obnoxious predictions from SEC homers like Paul Finebaum, who made the ridiculous statement that “the game wouldn’t be close” as he predicted a Texas win.

Now this wasn’t just any season opener—it was a rematch of last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal, where Ohio State beat Texas 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl. Texas came into Columbus as the AP preseason No. 1, with all eyes on redshirt sophomore Arch Manning, making his first start as the Longhorns’ QB1. The hype around Manning was unreal—Heisman buzz, Warby Parker commercials, you name it. Meanwhile, Ohio State, fresh off a national title, rolled in with new quarterback Julian Sayin and a defense ready to prove it’s still the best in the country.

But strangely, the Buckeyes weren’t getting nearly enough respect. We heard so much about the talent lost through last year’s NFL draft, but Texas was replacing starters as well. Also, if you were paying attention, you’d know that the Buckeyes were loaded with young talent on defense. Also, many of these players got playing time last year, so they were more than ready to step in.

Spoiler alert: the Buckeyes’ defense stole the show, and this game became a statement for the ages.

That had a lot to do with new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Critics of Ohio State pointed to the fact that they were replacing both coordinators, but Patricia proved his value as his defensive schemes confused Arch Manning all afternoon.

Let’s talk about how this game unfolded. The first quarter was a defensive chess match—neither team scored, but Ohio State’s defense set the tone early. Texas elected to receive after Ohio State deferred, but the Longhorns’ offense, led by Manning, couldn’t get much going. A key moment came when the Buckeyes stuffed Texas on a fourth-and-short at their own 42, giving Ohio State’s offense early momentum. Julian Sayin, in his first collegiate start, was steady but not flashy, managing the game while the defense did the heavy lifting.

Manning looked off from the beginning, which probably had a lot to do with the defense. But he also had real trouble with accuracy. It will be fascinating to see if this problem persists as the season progresses.

In the second quarter, Ohio State broke through. After a Texas facemask penalty and a holding call gave the Buckeyes great field position, running back CJ Donaldson punched in a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-short, capping an 80-yard, 15-play drive that ate up 8 minutes. The score put Ohio State up 7-0, and Texas couldn’t answer. With five minutes left in the half, linebacker Arvell Reese sacked Manning, forcing a punt. Manning was just 4-of-8 for 20 yards at halftime, and the Longhorns had only 71 total yards. Ohio State’s defense, under new coordinator Patricia, was relentless, making life miserable for Texas’ vaunted offense.

Linebacker Arvell Reese is one of those players on the Buckeye defense who wasn’t technically a starter but got significant playing time last year. The kid is a beast and is super fast, and he has a ton of buzz with NFL scouts as the next dude from that Ohio State defense. But you wouldn’t know that if you just listen to high-profile commentators like Finebaum on ESPN.

The third quarter saw Texas fight back, but Ohio State’s defense kept slamming the door. Manning showed flashes, scrambling for a first down and leading a drive to the Buckeyes’ 1-yard line. But on a bold fourth-and-goal QB sneak, Caden Curry and Lorenzo Styles Jr. stuffed Manning cold, keeping Texas scoreless. Texas fans had to be going crazy, particularly given what happened in the playoff semifinal game last season at the goal line against the Buckeyes.

Later, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. picked off Manning’s underthrown pass to Ryan Wingo, setting up Ohio State at their own 32. This was just a terrible throw by Manning, and you can’t blame the pass rush on this one. Critics will have a field day with Manning until he turns this around.

The Buckeyes capitalized in the fourth when Sayin, cool as ever, found Carnell Tate for a 40-yard touchdown pass, making it 14-0. Tate made an amazing catch, his two catches for 49 yards showed why he’s a rising star.

At this point in the game, Ryan Day went super conservative with the offense. They had a two-score lead and the defense was dominant, so he played the percentages here.

Texas finally got on the board with 3:28 left, as Manning connected with Parker Livingstone for a 32-yard touchdown pass after a quick 60-yard drive. Of course, the SEC official upheld the catch on replay.

But Ohio State’s defense wasn’t done. On Texas’ final drive, facing fourth-and-5 from the 50, Manning’s pass to Jack Endries fell 2 yards short. The Buckeyes ran out the clock, securing the 14-7 upset. Manning finished 17-of-30 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception—a rough debut against a defense that held Texas to 1-of-5 on fourth downs.

Let’s give credit where it’s due. Ohio State’s defense was the MVP, led by safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles. Downs, called the best player in college football by some, was everywhere, and the secondary made Manning work for every yard. Davison Igbinosun’s 10 tackles and pass breakup were huge, and Matt Patricia’s game plan was a masterclass—holding Texas to just 7 points, their lowest since 2021. On offense, Julian Sayin went 13-of-20 for 126 yards and a touchdown, while CJ Donaldson ran for 67 yards on 19 carries.

For Texas, Manning’s struggles sparked some heat on social media, with fans and commentators like Paul Finebaum pointing out his accuracy issues. Coach Steve Sarkisian took the loss in stride, praising Ohio State’s secondary but lamenting those failed fourth-down calls.

This game was a tone-setter. For Ohio State, it’s proof they’re still a juggernaut, improving to 4-3 all-time against No. 1 teams at home. Ryan Day’s 17-1 record in regular-season non-conference games is no fluke, and this defense looks ready to carry them back to the College Football Playoff. For Texas, the loss stings—Heather Dinich noted it could haunt them on Selection Day, with tough games against Georgia and Oklahoma looming. But while Manning’s late touchdown drive showed some potential; he’ll need to grow fast in the SEC.

In the end, Ohio State delivered a statement win—knocking off the Longhorns in a defensive slugfest that reminded everyone why the Buckeyes are perennial contenders.

Here are a couple of final thoughts after this game:

First, Arch Manning obviously had a tough day. He looked nothing like the all-world player the hype suggested. But it’s one game. Sure, there are some serious issues like field vision and accuracy, but he was playing against possibly the most talented defense in the country, and schemes from a Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator that he’s never seen before. He was also on the road against the defending National Champs. It’s way to early to make any definitive judgement about Manning.

That said, it was striking how much better Julian Sayin looked. The Buckeye quarterback was also a 5-star recruit and we saw why yesterday. The kid has a quick release and he’s super accurate. Also, he didn’t make any big mistakes. Ryan Day acknowledged that the Buckeyes called a very conservative game plan given that this was Julian Sayin’s first start at quarterback, but they will be unleashing this kid as the season progresses. If he can build on the traits we saw yesterday, this Buckey team could be scary.

Finally, the leadup to this game is another great example of how we should separate the pure entertainers like Paul Finebaum with analysts who actually know what they’re talking about. Finebaum is a great personality for college football, but you probably should ignore his hype when you’re thinking about placing any bets on college football.

Finebaum is an SEC homer, so he glossed over any challenges Texas might have, and he completely missed the boat on the young talent waiting for their shot at Ohio State. That said, at least he has a sense of humor about days like this when he’s wrong about so many things. But that does add to the fun! What a way to kick off 2025! Ohio State’s defense sent a message, and Texas has some soul-searching to do.

It was quite a weekend for college football, as many of us who love the game saw the crowds return and bring back the magic of the game. Yes, we still have issues with this top-heavy sport with Alabama and a few other dominant teams, but the traditions, crowds and games themselves make this an irresistible sport. No, NIL won’t ruin it. It will just continue to evolve, and likely in a better way.

As for the games this weekend, Ohio State and Minnesota kicked things off on Thursday night, as the Gophers came out to play and made things interesting for the first half. The Gophers have a monster offensive like in front of star running back Mo Ibrahim, and the Buckeyes have a young defense that clearly needs some more time to gel.

Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud was making his first start at quarterback and struggled in the first half. He had trouble throwing accurately on the run and couldn’t consistently get the ball to Ohio State’s talented receivers. That changed in the second half as Ryan Day schemed the receivers open and Stroud hit them in stride. The Buckeyes showed how Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson and the rest of the Buckeye receivers will torch opponents all season. And they have running backs as well, as Miyan Williams and true freshman TreVeyon Henderson both scored on long touchdowns.

Sadly, Mo Ibrahim is out for the season. Still, Minnesota should do some damage this season in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, some Oregon fans were getting excited as they watched Ohio State struggle in the first half, but that was before Oregon struggled to beat Fresno State on Saturday. Ohio State is a two-touchdown favorite heading into next weeks home game against Oregon, which seems about right. If Oregon’s star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux can’t play next week, you might want to lay the points.

Saturday gave us so many great moments as we saw the fans flood back into stadiums, rocking to “Enter Sandman” and “Jump Around.” We had some great games and some fun upsets, but Alabama still destroyed Miami as expected. With all these games, we have to be careful not to read too much into one performance, but we’ve seen this movie before with Alabama. Right now it’s hard to imagine any team other than Ohio State or Georgia giving them a real game. We’ll see . . .

As for Georgia, they picked up a huge win against Clemson, but we saw the same strengths and weaknesses we’ve seen before. They have dudes on defense, but that goes with a mediocre offense led by an average QB. I wonder if Kirby Smart has what it takes to beat Alabama . . . he’ll likely get another shot this year.

As for Clemson, D.J. Uiagalelei looked bad. Forget the hype; this kid just didn’t look like a good quarterback. Again, it’s only one game and the Georgia defense chewed up the Clemson offensive line, but many of those sacks were on him. And he just wasn’t accurate throwing the football. Dabo Swinney has recruited studs at quarterback for years but this one seems different. I don’t see Clemson as one of the elite teams this year. You can take that knowledge as you bet the rest of the year at icecasino.

Oklahoma was another disappointment as their hyped “improved” defense looked like a mess. Are they a real contender this year?

It should be a great year, particularly if someone can figure out how to beat Bama . . .

Let’s face it. Jim Harbaugh has been a disaster at Michigan despite the huge expectations. He can’t beat Ohio State, and the Wolverines are no longer a top-tier college football program.

Can Harbaugh save the situation? It’s doubtful, and Paul Finebaum explains it well in the video above. And as he points out, many Michigan fans have had enough. It also appears that Michigan is having a problem with the number of players entering the transfer portal.

Clemson was heavily favored, and Dabo Swinney ranked the Buckeyes #11 in his coaches poll. On ESPN, “analyst” Bart Scott said Ohio State was the “JV” team that had no chance against Clemson who was favored by over a touchdown. And Justin Fields had to hear about his subpar performance against Northwestern.

And of course, last year Ohio State outplayed Clemson but suffered a crushing defeat after several ridiculous calls and missed opportunities by the Buckeyes.

So the stage was set, and what transpired was the most satisfying victory for Buckeye fans since the 2014 National Championship. Ohio State whipped Clemson, dominating on both sides of the ball. Clemson was simply outmatched by a better football team that had something to prove. Ryan Day called a brilliant game and Justin Fields had the game of his life while the Buckeye defense teed off on Trevor Lawrence.

This one was sweet.

The domination continues. The Ohio State Buckeyes smacked the Michigan Wolverines again, making it eight straight wins in what many consider to be the best rivalry in college football and one of the best in all of sports.

This rivalry has an amazing history, reaching its apex during the ten-year war between Woody and Bo, but the programs are in very different places right now. The Big Ten used to be dominated by the Big Two – Michigan and Ohio State. Now the conference is dominated by Ohio State and Michigan is trying to stay relevant in the second tier with Wisconsin, Penn State and Iowa.

Mitch Albom summed it up well in his post-game column:

This is the hardest column to read if you are a Michigan football fan, and the hardest to write if you like to be the bearer of good news. But we all saw it. And to deny it is folly.

The Buckeyes are better. Say it and get it over with. Say it and spit the bad taste out of your mouth. It’s not a shame to admit, not when it’s true, and it doesn’t have to be true forever but it’s undeniably true now.

If you’ve been paying attention to recruiting, this wouldn’t be much of a surprise. It still amazes me that so many so-called “experts” picked Michigan to won the Big Ten this year with all the talent Ohio State had coming back. Many pointed to the departure of Urban Meyer, not realizing that Ryan Day was perhaps the best young coach in the game.

As for talent, just look at how the Ohio State offensive line dominated the undersized defensive line for Michigan. Look at the difference in the transfer quarterbacks. If you want to understand how Jim Harbaugh has failed to deliver, look at the difference in the quarterback position. Harbaugh needs to spend less time on world travel and more time finding better players.

Ohio State fans have been anxious to see just what the Buckeyes had in Justin Fields after his adventure with the transfer portal. After the Buckeyes jumped to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter against Lane Kiffin’s over-matched FAU squad, we learned a few things but not that much.

We knew Fields is blazing fast, and we saw him explode untouched for an easy 51-yard touchdown run off a read option. That wasn’t a surprise. We also saw him hit wide open receivers in stride, confirming that he has a good arm.

But we also saw Fields and the Ohio State offense get conservative and stall a bit after building that huge lead. Ryan Day seemed happy that Fields didn’t come close to throwing an interception. Fields often defaulted to running with the ball as opposed to trying tougher throws. We’ll see that a lot this season, but we’ll also need to see in coming weeks if Fields can make the tough throws when needed.

As for the Buckeyes, things looked so easy early on, and then FAU decided to start playing. The young offensive line certainly needs to develop more. We should have seen them control the game with J.K. Dobbins runs after building that lead, but FAU was able to stuff the Buckeye running game too often for comfort.

On the other side of the ball, the Buckeye defense dominate for most of the game. With Greg Schiano replaced as defensive coordinator, the Buckeyes have move away from the overly aggressive defense that gave up a staggering amount of long runs last season. Now we’re seeing a more fundamentally sound defense that lets the incredibly talented defensive line led by Chase Young do their thing. Fixing the defense has been a top priority for Day as he overhauled the defensive staff.

Overall, the Buckeyes failed to cover the 27.5 spread, but this game was never in doubt. Next week they’ll get a much better test against a Cincinnati team that beat UCLA this week.